Improvement in carriage-top and shifting seat-rail



J'. W. POST.

CARRIAGE TOP AND SHIFTING SEAT RAIL. N0. 189,385, Patented April 10, 1877.

j Jhvenfivr: Mg f WM? W NJPETERS, PHOTOIJTHOGRAFHHI WASNINGTON. D C.

STATES PATENT OFFICE.

i JOHN w. PosT, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN CARRIAGE-TOP AND SHIFTING SEAT-RAIL- Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 1 89,385, dated April 10, 1877; application filed October 12, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. POST, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buggy-Tops, &c and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to vehicles; and consists in certain new and useful improvements in shifting buggy-tops, as hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a buggy seat with my shifting top applied thereto; Fig. 2, a sectional detached side view of a portion of the top and the removable hand rail used in connection therewith; Fig. 3, a plan view of same.

A represents a buggy-seat; B, the ordinary hand-rail, and B the back. To the top front end of this rail B is provided a socket, O, and at the rear end a rest, D, for the top. E is the top, composed of tubular spring-metal bows, bent as ordinarily, and pivoted at each end in a keeper, F. This keeper, on its inner side, is constructed-with journals or trunnions G, which, when the top is in position, enter the socket O. A recess, 9, is made in the trunnion G, for the purposes hereinafter more fully set forth.

H represents my removable hand-rail, made, as well as the other parts, of tubular spring metal. This rail H is formed, as shown, with rearwardly-projecting ends h, which, when the back is in position, enter holes in the sockets O, andalso pass through the recesses g in the trunnions G, thus holding the top secure in place. The hand-rail H is formed with recesses a b in the outside edge, stops 0 I on the under side, and a springplate, d, at

the back, for the purposes hereinafter more fully set forth.

No braces between the ribs of my top are employed, they being held in proper relative position by the covering, to which they are fastened.

To apply the top to the buggy-seat, I proceed as follows: The ends or trunnions G are sprung into the sockets O. The ends h of the hand-rail H are then inserted through the holes at in the sockets U, passing through the recess 9 in the trunnions G of the top. The back portion of the rail H is then sprung over the back rail B, so as to make the plate d engage over pins d on the back rail B. Thus the parts are securely held together by the rail H.

To remove the top, the rail H is drawn back so as to bring the plate at over the rail B. The rail H is then drawn forward out of the sockets U, when the top may be removed by pressing each side outward to free the trunnions from the sockets.

As will be observed, the removable rail H may be used without the top, it being held in place by its own spring.

The object of the recesses a b is to hold the top in a half or wholly raised position. The parts all being spring metal, this is accomplished by one of the ribs of the top entering and being retained therein by its own contraction.

On the last rib is provided a stop, 0, Fig. 3, which, when the top is fully raised, abuts against the stop 0 on the rail H, thus holding and preventing the top from tipping too far forward.

The advantages of this invention, as will be readily perceived, are manifold, and need not be specifically stated herein. The parts are simple of construction, durable, readily applied or removed, and may be made at a very moderate cost.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The shifting top E, made of tubular metal, without intermediate cross bars or braces, and united at the ends into a trunnion, G, in combination with the socket O on rail B, as described.

2. The removable spring hand-rail H, as and for the purposes described.

3. In combination with the top E, with keeper F, trunnion G, and stop 0, the removable rail H, with recesses a b, stop 0, and plate 11, as described.

4.. The combination and arrangement of top bows with trunnion G, rail B, with socket G, In testimony that I claim the foregoing as and removable rail H, as and for the purposes my own I aflix my signature in presence of described. two witnesses.

5. In combination with the rail B, with JOHN W. POST. socket O, and removable rail H, with ends h, Witnesses: 1 the trunnions G of the top, provided with re- THOMAS C. OONNOLLY, I

cesses g, as and for the purposes described. WARREN I. OOLLAMER. 

